Lucio: My Mourinho relationship was strong

By Stuart MacLennan 2014-02-19 09:13:00 20140219

Lucio has had a glittering career thus far - Action Images

New Palmeiras signing Lucio, who has won everything on offer in the game, including a World Cup and Champions League, has dismissed claims by some factions that he had a poor relationship with Jose Mourinho during the pair's time together at Italian side Inter Milan.

Inter won Europe's biggest club prize in a remarkable 2010 season which saw them lift an historic treble and Lucio reserved nothing but positive thoughts on his former manager. Speaking on goal.com.br, the veteran said: "With Mourinho I always had a good relationship."

"He had a phrase that made me very happy and was reported worldwide at the time. Mourinho said that if there was a war, the first person he would call on would be me. So no need to say anything."

It was former teammate Marco Materazzi who claimed that the two Portuguese speakers had a fractious relationship but Lucio's simple response to Materazzi himself was: "I played beside him and heard him say he went onto the pitch to hurt the opposing team. And he's proving to be the same off the field, a bad character."